Ned Yost is trying everything to jump start the offense. He even inserted his hottest hitter (relatively speaking), Eric Hosmer into the lead off spot. By the way, I like that move and I’ll explain later on today’s podcast.
The offense sputtered again, but a sub-standard outing from Danny Duffy led to their sixth straight loss, a 10-5 final to the White Sox.
Rustin Dodd of the Kansas City Star points out that Royals starters in the last three games have given up 12 runs in 12 2/3 inning.
Duffy gave up half of those before leaving with two outs in the fifth. His shortest outing in this first month of the season.
The Royals were stuck on two runs until the 9th, when DH Brandon Moss hit a two-run homer and Moustakas followed with his seventh.
I can’t blame this loss on lack of offense though. It was a 2-2 game when the Sox got to Duffy, but he started to unravel earlier when he was called for a two out ball that put runners on second and third. He lost concentration and walked the bases loaded and then gave up a single which scored a run. Alex Gordon cut down a potential second run to limit the damage.
Frustation is setting in and the lack of run production is taking its toll on the whole team.
The Royals are last in the AL Central at 7-13, close to their worst 20-game start since opening 6-14 in 2012, that finished 72-90.